Thursday, January 29, 2009

MORE anarchy

James Lieber in the Village Voiceargues that the CEO's and CFO's of major banking institutions and all their white collar greedy sociopathicacolytes--- the movers and shakers (scum) who helped, no, CREATED the current economic crisis--- should not be treated with a slap on the wrist but rather as gangsters guilty of racketeering. Here, here.

As someone who has seen her APR on two credits cards increased to 25% for no reason whatsoever, thus practically encouraging me to default, I say, if I'M going down, so are YOU. Lieber argues persuasively that banking deregulation signed in during Clinton created a class of criminals who were smart, classy, sophisticated cats--- who soared through the air in private jets, and who have robbed the American middle-class BLIND with forethought and malice.

Furthermore, the system became so opaque that we don't even know nor will we ever--- for example, exactly what AIG did with its staggering bailout. The transparency in the banking industry that guaranteed fair play went the way of AOL. Traders and bankers made over 25 trillion dollars in bonuses.

Many argue, including Lieber, that the government should "claw back" that money. And I say, what the fuck are we waiting for? Why are we letting gangsters get away with murder and their 10 million dollar bonuses. This is illegal. Immoral. But no, come after me instead. Raise my APR. Make it impossible for me to pay back the loan. And if I default, no problem. The bank is insured for this loss and indeed is depending on it.

This is anarchy of both the highest and lowest order. We don't perceive someone like Robert Fuld as a criminal because he's white and he wears an expensive Italian suit. Because he drives a Ferrari, is smooth, articulate and intelligent. But he is no better than the small town mobster who sends you to sleep with the fish.

Workers of the world, revolt. Let us march to the fish mongers and buy up mackerel, salmon, sea bass, grouper and snapper. Let us break into the homes of the Bernie Madoffs of the world and put a large stinking fish underneath their pillows. Let this signify that their number is up. That they are criminals. They are dangerous. They are about to join the other stinking fish that swim at the bottom of the river, or at the very least, playing the beast who is saddle backing his cellie in Sing Sing.

2 comments:

Bingo. Preach it sister. The really discouraging thing is - what can we do about any of it?Have you read about the kind of money the "lobbyists" pass around?What chance do we have when just 3 of the big oil companies spent 14.3million dollars lobbying Congress in the second quarter of 2009?That breaks down to $158,888.88 every bloody day - WTF?

LA Slugocki

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LA Slugocki

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Creator and co-author of the award winning The Erotica Project. Author of erotic short stories published on Salon.com. Producer/author for NPR. MA from NYU. Published by Cleis Press, Seal Press, Heinemann Press, New York Press. Reviewed in NYTimes, Village Voice, Art in America, London Sunday Times.